ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bass — the fish
  3. drill — the tool
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. drill — army training
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. net — in sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bass — low music
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stock — goods
  18. mine — for digging
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. net — after costs
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com